Apparatus for reducing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. H. F. 'D. SGHWAH N. APPARATUS FOR REDUCING, ALLOYING, REMELTI'NG, ANDMIXING METALS.

No. 522,675. Patented July 10, 1894. 1 15 .1.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2; I

H. P D. SGHWAHN.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING, A-LLOYING, REMELTINGQ AND MIXING METALS. V

No. 522,675. Patented July 10,1894.

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UNITED "STATES HEINRICH F. SOI-IVVAHN,

PATENT. OFFICE;

KANSAS CIT-Y, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR'Rl-IDUCING, ALLOY-ING, REMELQTING, AND MIXING METALS.

srncxnzce'rxou forming part of Letters Patent a. 522,675, dated July10,1894. Application filfi March 2], 1893 Serial No.46'7,029. (N0model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH F. D. SOHWAHN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAp-' paratus for Reducing, Alloying, Remelting, and Mixing Metals, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a certain new and useful apparatus wherebymetals can be reduced, alloyed, remelted and mixed within an air-tightreceptacle or' retort, said retort being capable of being set in motion,and heat applied thereto; and my invention consists in certain featuresof novelty hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I, represents a side elevation of my improved receptacle. Fig.II, represents a longitudinal, vertical section of the same. Fig. III,is a transverse section taken on line III, III, of Fig. II. Fig. IV,represents amodification, the same being a transverse section taken online IV, IV of Fig. V. Fig. V, represents a longitudinal section showingmy mixing receptacle in a modifiedfo'rm. Fig. VI, represents atransverse section of the receptacle in amodified form, Fig. VII,represents still another modification, the same being taken intransverse section. 7

Referring to the drawings: 1, represents a receptacle or retortsurrounded by a series of auxiliary chambers or fines 2, to permit thepassage of heat, said fines being located between the shell 3, of theretort and an annular shell 4, surrounding said retort.-

5, represents an annular shell surrounding the shell 4, but having anintervening dead air space 6, to prevent radiation. Around the shell 5,is an outer shell 7, preferably made of iron. The retort and shellssurrounding the same are preferably made oblong in longitudinal sectionand round in cross section.

8, represents an aperture leading through the outer shells'into a space9, for the passage of gases or heat, conducting the same to the fines 2,surrounding the retort, the heat atoms passing through said fines, asshown by arrows, passinginto a space 10, at the opposite end of thereceptacle, and out through an aperture 11, connecting with a stack orfiue (not shown).

The retort l, is provided .with an opening '12, through which'the samemay be filled or stocked, and then closedand made air-tight by asuitable door such for instance, as the plate 13, held in close contactwith the walls of the aperture 12, by means of a screw 14.

After the metals to be reduced or alloyed, 850., are placed within theretort 1, the door 13, is sealed, and the receptacle is rotated, turningcompletely around, orpartially so, as may be desired. The means ofrotation are as follows: The receptacle is placed within a cradle formedof a base 15, supporting shafts 16, having rollers 17, thereon, saidrollers supporting the receptacle.

18,1'epresents a drive pulley connected with one of the shafts 16,'bya'suitable gearing 19, in order to drive said'shaft and rotate saidpulleys, and thus agitate the receptacle, turning the same completelyover or oscillating it as before mentioned.

20, represents a drive belt fordriving the pulley 18. p 7 p 21.,represents a tap-hole located in the side of the receptacle passing fromthe retort through the different shells in order-that the metal afterbeingmi'xed and alloyed, 85c, may be tapped out at will, or forresulting gases to make their exitthrough the same, said tapholebeingsuitably closed, normally by means of clay, for instance, held inplace by aplate 22, and screw 23.

In Fig. IV, I have shown a modification in construction of the retort,the same being formed of a series of staves 24, preferably madeoffire-clay, having the fiues 2, and the dead air space 6, therein.Theinner endsof said staves are made rounding, as shown at 25, so thatwhen a series of them have been placed together they form a corrugatedsurface for the retort, said corrugated surt'ace aiding in mixing themetals during the reduction and alloying of the same, as the receptacleis rotated.

In Fig. VI,Ihave shown still another modification in which the staves24, are formed the same as in Fig. IV; but in said modification I havedispensed with the dead air space 6, and have inserted a central pipe25%, forming a flue 26, in the center of the retort through which aportion of the heat atoms pass, thu forming a greater radiating surfacefor the heat.

In Fig. VII, I have shown still another modification, in which thecorrugated surfaces of the staves 24, are dispensed with, and a liningformed of a series of iron or steel segments 27, is placed within thefire-clay, the retort 1, being within the iron segments. In order toprevent deterioration of the iron or steel by the extraction of thecarbon therefrom I provide a series of longitudinal chambers 28, withinthe said iron or steel segments in which carbon is placed before heat isapplied to the retort and the said chambers are perfectly closed withclay.

In the modified form, as shown in Fig. V, the ends 29, of the receptacleare made in section and bolted to the body of the receptacle as shown at30. I am thus able to remove said ends at will in order to gain accessto the interior of the retort and shells surrounding the same.

My preferable method of heating the retort is by means of gas ignited asit passes through the aperture 8; but I do not confine myself to thismeans of heating the same.

I do not confine myself to the precise construction or arrangement ofthe device above described as it is manifest the same may be variedwithout changing the principle. For instance the fiuepassing through thecrucible may be left out or the apparatus be built in another form andset in motion by other suitable means, or said retort, fines and spacesmay be greatly varied in form and the supply of the heat to said fiuesdifferently arranged without changing the principle.

In reduction and alloying combined I preferably reduce a metal likealuminum first, and then add other metals to be alloyed thereto; but twoor more may be reduced together if found to be desirable. In alloying Ipreferably bring all the .metals first into a molten state and then runthem into the already heated retort to be alloyed by mixing,

,molten metals thereto to be alloyed.

but if metals shall be alloyed with aluminum then I have the latterfirst remelted in my improved apparatus and then I add the said Theretort is closed during the process as before described, and set inmot-ion, and the heat continued to reduce or keep the mixed metals in aliquid state while the same are being mixed and alloyed by the rotationof the receptacle, the agitation being kept up until the metals areperfectly alloyed, which is determined by sampling at the taphole. Theremelting is carried out by placing the metal into the retort andheating the same, which is in general done for the purification of themetals.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for reducing, alloying,remelting and mixing metals a combination of a suitably constructedretort composed of suitable material, suitable fines surrounding thesame for conveying heat to the said retort, and intervening spacesarranged in the manner and for the purposes as specified; the saidcombination suitably built into a metal lie shell, the resultantapparatus provided with suitable means for charging, discharging,closing and sealing the said retort; with suitable means for introducingheat into the said fines, and with suitable means to set the saidapparatus in motion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus for reducing, alloying, remelting and mixing metals acombination of a retort, ilues and intervening spaces all arranged asspecified; the said combination built into a metallic shell, withdetachable ends connected with said shell; means for charging,discharging and closing the said rotort; means for introducing heat intothe said fines of the resultant apparatus, and means to set the same inmotion, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

HEINRICH F. D. SCIIWAIIN.

\Vitnesses:

J AS. E. KNIGHT, F. E. MULLETT.

